What happens when you take one of the best fighting games ever made, add a new coat of paint to it, and then have the audacity to sell the thing at 20 bucks US? Rather then give you that answer I’ll just tell you that if you don’t buy Virtua Fighter Evolution GH for your PS2 you are either flat broke or plain stupid. I’m telling you this because the following review (while standing on its own), is also tempered by the fact that Virtua Fighter Evolution only costs 20 bucks, (a sum most of you blow on one night out at the movies).
Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution is essentially just VF4 with a couple new characters a few minor glitches cleaned up. Those of you who own VF4 still need to make the upgrade to Evo because the 2 new kids on the block are very different then any other character in the series, and add a whole new dynamic to the franchise when playing the game ‘as and against’ them.
The first of the new characters is Brad Burns; a Muay Thai kick boxer with an in your face fighting style, who is best compared to Vanessa. The other is Goh Hinogami; an assassin raised by a group called The Organization (and that’s the only lame thing about him btw), who uses a Judo Fighting style. Anyone who’s ever taken Judo knows that’s an in your face martial art with a lot of throwing. With such a heavy emphasis on grappling and being up close, Goh is not to be used by the novice player. If you’re looking to pick up and try one of the new guys go with Brad first and once you’ve got him mastered make your way over to Goh. As is always the case with grapplers (in every fighting game), they’re for the best of the best, and while they aren’t flashy they more the make up for it in power.
One of the things that has always placed Virtua Fighter in a league of is own is its fighting engine. At first glance its minimalist approach to the use of buttons gives you the impression the game will be a button masher (and most button tap fighting games degenerate into that), but VF4 has always been different in this regard. You can absolutely annihilate another player in a few short seconds, or have a match that goes on forever. All of it essentially depends on how skilled you are. A shining example of a button masher fighting game is the DOA series; it is possible for someone who’s never touched the game to slap the controller enough to beat a seasoned vet. You’ve never been able to do that in VF, and Virtua Fighter Evo thankfully continues that tradition. This is a hardcore gamer’s game which won’t be easy to master, but is worth the time to do so.
The biggest addition to Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution is the North American exclusive 10th Anniversary game that comes included. This precious little gem will take you back many a year to the very first Virtua Fighter. We’re talking the look, the sound, and the gameplay all recreated (NOT ported), into VF4 Evo. It feels almost like an entirely different game included in the package, which only continues to add to its value.
Other ‘optional’ changes from VF4 includes the removal of the Kumite mode (which was considered by many to be over the top for this series), and the inclusion of a mode that replaces Kumite, called Quest. This mode has you competing all over the world, in various types of challenging matches. You could be asked to fend off many opponents in a survival match, or win a bout by simply using kicks. All the difficult things you’ll be asked to do in Quest mode will earn you new items for your character (including the ability to play as a retro polygon version found in the original Virtua Fighter). The new included Quest mode gives VF 4 Evo a very deep challenging and rewarding first player experience; with thousands of items to collect you could be playing the single player mode months after you bought the game just to unlock the most difficult items. This only adds to the stunning replay value you get for a 20 dollar game.
|
|
Quest mode -- and the game in general -- is very difficult, (if not downright frustrating), thanks to its AI which is modeled after some of Japans best players. Think about that; you’re not playing up against a programming geek who created the game -- you’re playing up against the guys who spend hundreds of hours in the arcades perfecting their craft. If you’re looking to see just how good they are, Sega has been kind enough to include video of them kicking butt and taking names as winnable items in quest mode. You’ll truly feel worthless when you see these guys executing moves you could only dream of, while only using one hand.
Graphically Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution is stunning. This is surprising given that it’s supposed to be a basic port of VF4, and that game was plagued with some graphical issues. Regardless of what issues the title may have had in Virtua Fighter 4, they’re gone here, and as result you’d have to say this is what Sega had intended us to see in VF4. The character models look great, and their animations are based on their respective martial art (which is something of a trademark of this series). The backgrounds in the game are just as good as the characters, and it all runs at a very smooth frame rate. Nothing is really groundbreaking here, but still, the whole visual package is impressive.
The sound in Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution is by all standards your typical fighting game fair. Guitar riffed tunes, and decent voice acting are the best you can hope for. It does make you wonder though – with all the noticeable fixes that Sega put into this title, why they just couldn’t fix some of the Engrish found in the game, (for the un-initiated Engrish is what happens when a foreign company hires someone clearly not qualified in the English language to translate a game to our shores).
At least the sound effects compensate for some of the voice acting and translation. There’s an impressive depth to be found in the sound effects of Evo: Punches and Kicks not only have their own distinct sounds, but the type of punch, and who threw it will also effect what you hear. It’s one of those little things that just add to the over-all greatness of a game when you can sense that a guy who looks like he’s 250 pounds actually hits harder then a girl who’s 105. You’ll be able to feel impact in VF4 Evolution thanks to the varied fighting sound effects.
I’ve made mention of this several times already, but there really is no justifiable reason to not own Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution. When you consider all the things you spend money on that exceed the price of this game, and that will give you far less entertainment, it becomes a no brainer. Simply put: for the price you have to pay, Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution is a must own regardless of weather you’re even a real fighting fan – for such a low price, owning a PS2 should be reason enough to own this game. Sega really went all out to commemorate one of its best franchises, and has created something that Virtua Fighter fans can truly say is one of the best, if not the best, celebration of a video gaming franchise.
Now, if Capcom would learn how to create an anniversary game this good, fighting fans would have their dreams truly fulfilled.
